When we pray, the first words often uttered have to do with things
and events we are concerned with. In this prayer that Jesus taught
his disciples, it is God first. As we look at this Lord's Prayer,
we find some similarity with the 10 commandments. The first 4 commandments
are directed to God and the rest are to men. Likewise, in this prayer,
the first 3 petitions are towards God and the rest to men. This morning
we'll take a closer look at the first petition, "Hallowed Be Your
Name".
I. Hallowed be your name.
It has been said that this first petition is the most difficult to
comprehend and explain. The only time this word, 'Hallow' appears
in the NT is in 1 Peter 3:15, It means, regarding Christ as holy.
The word 'holy' means being different and separated from others. The
temple in Jerusalem is holy because it is separated from the rest
of the buildings. It is to be kept as a holy place. We have saints,
meaning they are separated and different from the others.
The same is with God. We sanctify him by keeping him different. We
sincerely and fervently adore him. Our thoughts of him are revered.
I think of a trip to ??, the ancient summer palace of Kang Zi. In
one of the temples we visited was a huge statue of Buddha. Even though
it was a statue made of human hands, a false god, one felt a sense
of reverence towards it. How much so are we to have the same attitude
of reverence toward the one true God. When we revere him in our prayer,
we begin to revere him in all of life.
To sanctify his name also means we rely on his power, trust his faithfulness,
submit to his wisdom, imitate his holiness, give him the glory he
deserves. We are to give God the place in our heart (life) that he
deserves, the most important part of our life.
When we take that important person in our life out for dinner, we
want to take her to the best restaurant we can afford. When I visited
Beijing several years ago, my cousin insisted to invite me to the
original and authentic Beijing Duck Restaurant (???). The first time
when our in-laws came over for the thanksgiving dinner, we put out
the best silverware, inviting them to sit on our best chairs. The
same is our relationship with God. He is that honored guest deserving
the best we can offer.
This phrase also teaches us to put God first. We are rather self-centered.
If I want to be a stronger Christian, a better person, we usually
think in terms of what we need to do. I have to be more disciplined
in my devotional life; pray more, read the bible more. I need to do
more evangelism. Here we learn that we are to put God first. It begins
with Him. Let him be the holy one in my life. Martin Luther said,
"One needs not command a stone in the sun to be warm, it is already
warm. When we go outside of ourselves, then the joy within will begin
to flow out." If we want to be a more mature Christians, we begin
by putting God first in our lives.
We sanctify God's name not only in prayers, but in our daily life.
This first petition is really a call to have a proper attitude in
life. Put God first. Give him the best place in our life as he deserves.
II. Hallowed be YOUR NAME.
What is in a name? To some, names are nothing more than separating
one person from another. To parents, great thoughts are given to naming
their child. Sometimes our names will give away the political circumstances
under which we were born. Names like "??, ??, ??, ??" are easy to
decipher. We called our youngest son Sean because it means God is
gracious and merciful. It does not mean that Sean is gracious, but
that he reminds us of God's graciousness. I think of a person, who
changed his name to Saved reminding himself of how God had saved him
from sin, he is a born-again man.
In bible times, names often revealed a person's character. An early
disciple was called Barnabas (meaning the encourager), because he
constantly brought comfort and encouragement to others. He was the
one who found Paul when others kept a distance from him. Names are
usually associated with who and what that person is.
The same is true with God's name. God's name reflects or describes
his characters and attributes. In Psalm 9:10, "???????????????…".
Its not just the name but those who know your character will trust
you. When we take a closer look at Psalm 23, we find many of the acts
of the shepherd corresponding to various names of God. He is the Provider,
Protector, Healer and Victor. He is the one who is ever present with
us. So when we hallow our heavenly father's name, we are honoring
him for who he is, for his different characters and attributes.
III. Hallowed be God's various names.
God has many names. It is because he is so great, so other than us,
one name is just not adequate to describe who he is. So there are
multitudes of names, but still one God. His names can be categorized
into Proper names, his essential characters and personal. Today we
want to focus on the proper names.
1. Elohim.
This is the 3rd word in the bible. In the beginning God created the
heaven and the earth. This God is the creator. He is responsible for
the existence of heaven and earth. He is responsible for the sun,
moon, stars and all the different planets. He is the one who created
the living things: plants and animals. He also created man in his
own image. We certainly don't know all the details of the creation.
For this reason, we encourage individuals in different academic disciplines
to explore and discover more about the created world. However, we
do know that all is from him. His creation is not a continuous act
of development, but in distinct stages.
I think of a doctor I met several years ago. By the time I met him,
he was just baptized in one of the Midwest summer camps. However,
as I further discussed with him about his faith, I realized that he
had a very different view on creation. So much so that I wondered
if we believe in the same God.
You see, he is our savior, yet at the same time he is also the creator
of all. We are to recognize and honor him in our own life that he
is the creator God.
#30, "I sing the mighty power of God"
2. Elyon. Gen 14:18-19
In the OT there is this narrative about Abraham. He had just returned
from the war with the 5 kings. He was greeted by Melchizedek who blessed
him saying, (Genesis 14:18-19) God is called Elyon, the most high.
He created the heaven and earth, and is also the ruler over his creation.
When I hallow his name Elyon, I recognize that he rules over my personal
world, my life; he is in control of events happening to me and he
does things well. He cares for my well being.
Last week I was talking to an individual about his family's travel
plan. He said that they were not afraid of flying. They trust in God's
sovereign rule in their lives. When I constantly complain about my
circumstances, asking God why this is happening to me, I am not honoring
him as my Most High. I may not understand, and usually I don't understand
those events in my life, especially the ones I would never have planned,
yet I still believe he is the most high, he still rules over my life.
3. Jehovah.
Besides being the creator, the sovereign ruler, God is also called
Jehovah. This is the most commonly used name in the OT. It is the
most sacred of all names. This name stresses the covenant faithfulness
of God, and is used whenever God enters into a relationship with his
people. In Genesis we read that God the creator, because of man's
sins, decided to destroy the earth with a flood. God gave Noah the
plan for the Ark. He instructed Noah to bring two animals of each
kind into the Ark. It was Jehovah who told Noah to bring the clean
animals into the Ark for future sacrifices. It was Jehovah that shut
the ark's door after Noah entered. In Exodus, it was Jehovah who delivered
the Israelites from Egypt. Jehovah is the God who saves. The name
Jesus also means "saves".
Saved from what? Because of our sins, we are all under God's wrath.
God came into the world, became man and died on the cross so he can
save us, those who believe in him from God's wrath. He saves us from
the bondage of sins.
When I hallow his name as Jehovah, I am acknowledging him as the
one who redeems me. Many of us here may acknowledge God as the creator.
And this may be one of the reasons that you are here this morning.
However, is he your personal savior?
4. Adonai.
This means master. The Adonai God is the master over his creation.
If he is the master, then we owe our highest allegiance to him. Like
the soldiers owing their allegiance to the commander-in-chief. What
does that mean to us?
If he is my master, then I want to know what he wants me to do with
my life. So often, we Christians have the attitude of asking God to
bless us: Bless me, bless me. Many of us have come to this country
with a dream. We want to complete our higher education, get a job
and settle down. This is our personal dream, so is the desire of our
parents back home. Throughout our pursuit of this American dream,
we ask God to bless us. We want him to bless our efforts. But what
is even more important is to ask: what does God want me to do with
my life. There are two questions everyone will have to ask sooner
or later. The first is: Who are you, Lord. This will settle the question
of our relationship with the creator God who loved and died for us.
The second question is: What do you want me to do, Lord. This settles
the question of lordship in life.
I think of many young men and women, instead of asking God to bless
them, they seek God's desire for their live. Some of them have since
gone into full time Christian work or as missionaries to different
parts of the country and the world. There is this American couple,
after their recent retirement, sold their house and went to Krgystan
as missionaries. There is more to this. They brought along the wife's
80-year-old mother. We may call it foolish, but they are doing what
their Master wants them to do.
I also think of those in obeying God, they went to Afghanistan, the
remotest part of China, the jungles of SE Asia and the remote pacific
islands. Why, because God is the master of their lives.
When I hallow God the Adonai, I too will ask, Lord, what do you want
me to do with my life. Conclusion:
We have caught a glimpse of what it means to hallow God's name. To
place him in our life in a position that he deserves. But have you
noticed that we have only mentioned 4 of God's proper names: God the
creator, the most high, Jehovah and the Master of all. How about the
other names that describe his attributes?
Let me read a few to you from the Westminster Confession of Faith.
He is the only, living and true God, who is infinite in being and
perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, immutable, immense and
eternal. He is incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy and
most free. He is most just, loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering,
abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity and sins. He is
life, the light of the world, the bread of life. He is the good shepherd,
the great shepherd, the chief shepherd. He is the lord of hosts, the
King of kings.
He is the God of Peter, James, John, Timothy and Paul. And he is
not only their God; he is my God. Is he your God? This is the God
whose name we are to sanctify.
